During an event in New York City this evening, Lotus Cars has officially unveiled its next all-electric model, a hyper GT called the Emeya. In addition to debuting as Lotus’ second-ever BEV, the Emeya is also the automaker’s first 4-door hyper-GT and is some boasting some impressive specs out of the gate.
Lotus Cars is a UK-based automaker owned by Geely who assists in the brand’s BEV production in China at a new $1.2 billion factory. In 2021, Lotus announced a full transition into electric vehicles and shared a pipeline that introduces a new model each year through 2026.
This began with an E-segment SUV codenamed Type 132 we would come to know as the Eletre, which is starting to show face at large auto events around the world like Goodwood and Monterey Car Week. Here’s how the other incoming BEV models break down:
- 2023 – E-segment four-door coupe, “Type 133”
- 2025 – “Type 134,” a new D-segment SUV
- 2026 – All-new electric sports car, “Type 135”
As we hone in on the final quarter of 2023, we’ve been anticipating a look at Lotus’ next EV for quite some time, especially since it’s a four-door – a design you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the sports car developer. Lotus had remained relatively mum about “Type 133” until last week, when we got some shadowy video and an official model name – the Emeya.
This evening in the big apple, Lotus officially unveiled the Emeya hyper-GT, kicking off a three-day “immersive experience” that will soon open to the public.
Blah, blah, blah, shush up, Scooter, let’s see the pics. Ok, fair. Here you go… oh, and don’t forget the video at the bottom!
Lotus officially unveils Emeya, invites public to visit
Behold! The Emeya – Lotus’ first-ever four-door hyper grand tourer. At first glance, it looks aerodynamic as hell and its maker is saying as much, although it has not shared an official drag coefficient yet.
Lotus describes the new Emeya’s low center of gravity as a “hyperstance” – one of several instances in which the automaker says it has combined its 75 years of experience in engineering and design with cutting edge technologies. For example, the Emeya is also equipped with active exterior components, including its front grille (first seen on the Eletre BEV), rear diffuser, and a dual-layer rear spoiler offering a net downforce over 215 kg (474 lbs).
Its air suspension is electronically controlled and underpinned by sensors that feel the road 1,000 times per second, automatically adjusting to ensure a smooth ride worthy of the brand’s badge. Lotus Group’s vice president of design Ben Payne elaborated:
This is a Lotus like you have never seen before. We’ve built on everything Lotus has achieved so far to create a luxury performance car for the drivers, designed to inspire confidence, exhilarate with raw emotion and pure joy – connecting them to the road.
Cool, but what about specs? This is an all-electric hyper-GT after all…
Lotus shared that the Emeya’s “top specification model” will feature a high-power dual-motor setup that can accelerate from 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) in under 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). We’re not sure why the automaker phrased the configuration as such – perhaps we also see a single motor RWD version? Lotus declined to comment.
The motors are powered by a 102 kWh battery pack within a 800V BEV platform – same as the Eletre, but not the lightweight LEVA platform we will likely see beneath future Lotus models. Either way, this hyper-GT can regain 150km (93 mi) of range in five minutes charge at a 350 kW DC fast charger and replenish 10-80% in a blistering 18 minutes.
As for official Emeya range – well, we’re going to have to wait a bit on that as Lotus isn’t even sharing targets just yet. Lotus says it will share more details in Q4 of this year, including market availability and that other ever-so-important tidbit of information – pricing. Production is expected to begin in 2024.
If you’re in NYC, you can get yourself a ticket to see the new Lotus Emeya up close this Saturday, September 9 – at least while tickets are still available. If not, the best we can offer you is the launch video below. Enjoy!
city-dwellers’s Take
With today’s debut, Lotus’ first two BEVs have been an SUV and a four-door. I can’t think of better evidence than this is not the luxury sports car manufacturer of the past, but one with eyes on the future – and one that is hardened by the sheer size and manufacturing prowess of Geely.
Last month, I visited San Francisco to meet with Lotus’ chief commercial officer, Mike Johnstone, who talked me through the company’s bold strategy to scale from building approximately 1,500 Lotus cars globally a year, to over 150,000 five years from now. Johnstone shared the following during my interview:
With performance brands, everyone knows what they stand for, but I think there are some customers saying ‘where’s the EV though?’ So we’re in this really nice position at the moment and it’s super important for us to make the most of the opportunity where there’s a lack of EVs coming from the performance side, yet we’ve got a clear brand that stands for something and we want to get that across to as many people as well.
We’ve seen a lot of consumers that were already Lotus fans who want to buy an electrified product. They’ve already bought into the brand, but what they’re looking for is something that represents their values in terms of handling and performance, which it does. For us, it’s connecting the performance to the electrification, because electrification brings with it a lot of performance, particularly when it comes to speed. Obviously, the handling that comes with it as well is really key, so we’re trying to be really clear with people in that this is an electrified product, but it’s still a Lotus.
So in a lot of ways, the Emeya doesn’t just represent a new design for Lotus Cars, but a dual-motor zig toward a larger customer market. With an SUV and a 4-door, Lotus is looking to propel itself from David to Goliath and become a worldwide competitor in performance EV sales.
We love to see it.
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